Part one of a four part series focused on the topic of "A Sustainable Built Environment". This new webinar series continues our cross-disciplinary, knowledge sharing, expert led webinars designed to provide good practice case studies and insight into key topics from a range of sectors – providing different perspectives, but all with the goal of protecting and enhancing our environment.
The series titled A Sustainable Built Environment is the fourth Webinars@SocEnv series, and the third to provide cross-sector insights on an topical umbrella webinar theme (series one looked at Why and How to Become a CEnv / REnvTech). Each webinar speaker across all series are either registered as a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) or Registered Environmental Technician (REnvTech).
Part one will comprise of two Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) speakers – experts in their relevant fields of arboriculture (urban trees) and facilitating successful collaboration. Both John Parker CEnv and Lynne Ceeney CEnv will provide a twenty minute insight into their sub-topic, followed by participating in a question and answer session with the audience to conclude. This is your chance to ask the expert - or indeed offer an alternative solution.
To find out more about the speakers and their talks, and/or to listen and participate for free on Tuesday 11th February 2020 (12:00 - 13:00 BST), please keep reading.
Talk #1:
John Parker is Technical Director at the Arboricultural Association, where he has worked since August 2019. He has more than ten years of experience in public sector tree management and from 2012-2019 was a member of the Executive Committee of the London Tree Officers Association, which he Chaired in 2016-18, and until 2019 was a Director of the National Association of Tree Officers. John is a member of the European Forum on Urban Forestry (EFUF) International Steering Group and is a Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Arboriculturist. He frequently presents at national and international conferences such as EFUF, the National Tree Officers Conference, the ICF International Conference and the European Arboricultural Council and has delivered a TED Talk entitled Why trees are better than people (available on YouTube). In 2018 he was named Young European Urban Forester of the Year. John is interested in public engagement, green equity and promoting the benefits of trees, with particular consideration for their social and cultural value.
Professionalism in Arboriculture – The Key to Successful Urban Trees
Trees and tree planting have never been as high up the public agenda as they are now, in large part as a result of the climate crisis and an increased awareness and acknowledgement of environmental issues.
In the 2019 UK election all of the major political parties made increasingly extravagant planting commitments and tree planting is frequently now being referenced – somewhat misleadingly – as the solution to climate change. Whilst the increased profile of trees is to be welcomed, the link between the importance of trees and the importance of tree professionals has seemingly not yet been established in the public and political mind. In the scramble to promise millions, or billions, of new trees, attention often seems to focus on woodland and forest creation. This is undoubtedly important, but at the same time we must ensure that we do not lose sight of the immense value of the urban forest – those trees in our towns and cities, closest to where people live and work. And if we, as a nation, want to enjoy the benefits of healthy urban forests then arboriculture must be acknowledged as the profession responsible for successful urban trees.
We must ensure that those professionals working in arboricultural contracting, consultancy, management, training, production, policy and research are properly recognised, supported and respected, and that their expert advice is heeded by decision makers and budget holders. In this presentation John Parker will outline some of the problems and opportunities associated with professionalism in arboriculture, and will make the case that if we really care about urban trees, then we must also care about arboriculture and arboricultural professionals.
John Parker CEnv – Technical Director, Arboricultural Association
Talk #2:
Lynne has over 25 years experience improving the sustainability and quality of the built environment. She does this by providing project specific technical and design advice, by creating tools to assist decision makers, and through helping organisations to improve their decision making processes. Her career encompasses sustainability roles in local and regional Government, various Technical Director roles, Global Head of Sustainability at a multinational interdisciplinary consultancy, and she is now running her own consultancy. Lynne is a strong advocate of collaborative processes and specialises in enabling people from varied backgrounds and perspectives to work together productively to produce better project outcomes.
Changing the Game for a Sustainable Built Environment – Innovation, Collaboration and Playing in Teams
- Sustainability and innovation – what is the link?
- Obstacles faced by people who want to innovate
- Why collaboration is essential to make innovations work
- Conditions that optimise collaborative processes
- Personal skills for good collaboration.
Lynne Ceeney CEnv – Managing Director, Lytton Consulting Ltd
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